Camille Chaudron, better known as Girl Go Green, defines herself as a "consciousness-raiser". She has turned her Instagram account into a committed medium where she hijacks the codes of our society to raise awareness ofecology on the internet. Her recipe for success?
"To give access to information on environmental and social issues, to individual and collective solutions that are available to us to face the greatest challenge of the 21st century, with a glimpse of the actors of change and what could be the world of tomorrow! All this is formulated with a lot of humour (and sometimes cynicism ) and a lot of pedagogy. “
Camille is multi-hatted, inspiring and full of energy. Today, more than 53,000 people follow her journey and her work on Instagram. She agreed to answer all our questions in this interview:
Camille: I used to work in marketing for large food groups and I was amazed at the amount of packaging we were creating. I had the impression that we weren't going in the right direction at all. With ever more complex packs (mixing different materials and therefore less recyclable), smaller for individual portions and even more technological.
In short, I felt my cognitive dissonance growing and so I wanted to at least gain consistency in my personal life so I became interested in zero waste .
Camille: I don't think it's an optimistic path because it comes with traumatic re alisations about the state of our world, it requires giving up one's privileges and it requires sobriety (so maybe the opposite of what we are sold as an ideal).
But it is also a journey that is accompanied by a move away from individualism, an awareness of the importance of solidarity and mutual aid, of the value of the common good. So there is joy in (re)connecting. We reconnect with the rest of life, we recognise ourselves in this great web of life and there is a lot of beauty in that.
And then, in order not to fall into guilt, it is enough to remember that only 20% of GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions can be reduced by individuals to reach the Paris agreements, the remaining 80% being the responsibility of companies and the State. So let's not mistake the culprit, even if it is important to live in line with our values to the extent that we can (financially, mentally, etc), we will live better!
Camille: It consists of staying informed and getting together with other people who want to live in a more resilient, sustainable and united world to make our voices heard. This means using all the means at our disposal to fight (with, against, alongside) at all levels (individual and collective), legally and sometimes illegally, sometimes by committing our physical and moral person .
On a daily basis, I go to demonstrations, I make my disagreement known to my elected representatives, I get involved in local citizen bodies, I extract myself from the oppressive capitalist system as much as I can, I try to invent other ways of living and of being a society with other people , I engage in civil disobedience .
Camille: I am very disappointed because despite everything I had hope that this unprecedented democratic initiative, the CCC (Citizens' Climate Convention) was going to change things.
But no, it was the ultimate confirmation of the power of the lobby, of the bad faith of the government and of the fact that it was better to expect nothing from either of them and to self-organise locally, to blockade and resist.
Camille: Each of us is affected to a greater or lesser extent by certain forms of communication. Personally, I like to favour humour, cynicism or derision. This allows us to create a break, an unexpected surprise and to make us think while entertaining. We go through the heart to touch the brain. For me, humour is a weapon of mass awareness.
I like to use the codes of our current society that are so entrenched and that work to divert them and put them at the service of causes, solutions or actors that are really worthwhile because they support a vision of the world that I believe in .
I believe that we need to add glamour and desirability to other forms of consumption, other forms of living together, other forms of society and politics, or simply to inhabit the world.
Camille: Apart from one order per month on the online organic shopping site Aurore Market, I only shop in bulk. It has become a real routine, a habit, I don't pay attention to it anymore. For me it's the norm. What shocks me is going into a supermarket. It gives me a headache, it's aggressive and I feel lost.
In Paris it's easy because I have bulk grocery shops around my house that I love, I know the shopkeepers well and I trust them on their sourcing policy (so in addition it decreases my moral and mental burden). And even in restaurants, when I go there with my tupperware and bentos, it doesn't shock anyone anymore.
Camille: "By starting to run away from places that make us dependent like supermarkets. Go to AMAPs, local shops, know your producers! "
Find out what isbehind the price I pay, how my vegetables were grown, where they come from? How did the animal that ends up on my plate live?
Buying with a conscience, knowing the whys and wherefores, is the first step towards taking back control of your consumption .
Camille: Downloading anti-waste applications such as Phenix or TooGoodtoGo for example, shopping with a shopping list and menus planned in advance to avoid waste, learning to cook leftovers (nothing is bad in a soup or jam), remembering to always carry a bulk bag with a tote bag and a small tupper!
Jean Bouteille: Absolutely, and for those who want to walk through the door of a bulk shop for the first time, we keep an up-to-date map of all our partner outlets. For those who prefer to order online, there are sites that guide you and make your life easier such as The Trust Society. Their team tests, selects and groups together in one place the French brands most committed to the planet, according to a demanding and transparent selection charter.
Camille: When I first got involved in zero waste, there were few players developing this offer and Jean Bouteille was one of the first! As it's a small world and I'm on the lookout for everything that's going on, I quickly heard about it. Then I also met you at several trade shows!
Especially when it was a pain to find bulk liquids, I was over the moon when I found this solution for my oil and vinegar, then wine, then household liquids. I've been a customer since the beginning and still am so I really like your products 🙂 Olive oil is my go-to. I like your wine although my dad, a big wine lover, says there is room for improvement there 😉
Jean Bouteille: It's a good thing that we have just launched a new range of good organic wines without pesticides in bulk with our partner Oé, a committed player in the wine and deposit business! Don't forget to give us your opinion once you have tasted it. In any case, thanks again for this exchange Camille!
